Brooke Annibale

Today's feature is one my favorite discoveries of the last few weeks. Brooke Annibale is an acoustic singer/songwriter from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. She took up the guitar at the age of 15 and began taking lessons, improving her skill and establishing her own style of playing. She eventually began writing her own songs. As a junior in high school, she released her first EP, “Go Unnoticed” to be sold at her shows and at the venues she’d played. At 17, she recorded her second album, the full-length “Memories in Melody”. Vocally, she has a smoky quality similar to John Mayer, and employs a pleasing thickness and pitch that are reminiscent of Natalie Merchant. Her lyrics bleed with an uncommon wisdom for a twenty-three-year-old, as the tales she tells about love, loss, faith and finding yourself are simultaneously deeply personal and wholly universal in their application. Brooke’s third album, Silence Worth Breaking, is her most well-rounded effort yet, featuring dreamy folk-pop, radio-ready pop-rock, edgy groove rock and even some stripped down numbers where it’s largely her and her acoustic guitar. “Silence Worth Breaking” was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee. The new album was funded by Brooke’s fans through a campaign on the crowd-funding website, Kickstarter.com. Brooke’s third album follows “Memories in Melody” and “The In Between,” released in 2005 and 2008, respectively. Over the course of that time period, Brooke attended Belmont University in Nashville where she earned a degree in Music Business. Upon graduation, she returned home to Pittsburgh to pursue her career in music both locally and nationally and has been invited to open for musicians Katie Herzig, Matthew Perryman Jones, Tony Lucca, Julian Velard, Charlie Mars, Kim Taylor, Julie Lee and Steven Delopoulos. So be sure to  give this very talented singer-songwriter a listen, you won't regret.

@ Pittsburgh, USA

♫ Acoustic, Folk, Pop

♥ Under Streetlights (mp3)
♥ Feels Like Home (mp3)
♥ Fright (mp3)

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Destry

For today's feature I have to give credit to the amazing iPad app BandADay, readers with an iPad should really give it a try! Last week I stumbled upon the folkpop duo Destry. Destry consists of Michelle DaRosa and Tyler Odom, who have known each other for the better part of ten years but it’s only been in the last two years that they have gone from friends to band mates. Both of them experienced success in previous musical acts, Straylight Run and Northstar/Cassino respectively, but their time together in Destry has brought them in a different direction. Old fans and new were introduced to the project with their debut release “It Goes On” in late 2009. The duo believes it is their new record that will showcase their musical direction and capabilities with Destry. The songs are dreamy, upbeat, 60’s pop beauties that are equal parts charming and engaging. If “It Goes On” was an introduction, the upcoming release "Waiting On An Island" will be a band-defining album of work that will allow Destry to stand on it’s own.

@ Boston, USA

♫ Indie, Folk, Pop

♥ This Island (mp3)

♥ Don't Break My Heart (mp3)

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▸ Official Website

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